Starting seeds for the first time can seem like a daunting task but there are mistakes that can be avoided to ensure success.
These are the 7 most common mistakes beginner gardeners make when starting seeds and how to avoid them.
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7 Mistakes Beginner Gardeners Make
1. Not Providing Adequate Light
Some seeds need light to germinate while others need darkness. The seed packet will state which the seed needs.
But once those seeds have grown into seedlings, they will need enough light to thrive, or you may end up with leggy plants (or dead plants).
If you don’t have windows that bring in direct sunlight, consider purchasing grow lights to give your plants the light they need to survive.
2. Not Using the Right Growing Medium
There is no one correct growing medium, but there are wrong ones.
Avoid heavy, course soils and use light-airy growing mediums that allow the seed to “breathe” and stretch out its roots.
Try coco choir, seed starting mix or a light potting soil to start your seeds in.
3. No Breathing Room
Seeds need oxygen to “breathe” just like other living organisms.
Avoid pressing down and compacting the soil on top of the seed.
Cover the seed lightly with soil after planting to be sure it has room to “breathe”.
Note: Some seeds should not be covered at all and should be sown on the soil surface. The seed packet will state how deep to plant the seed.
4. Too Much/Too Little Water
Give too much water and you will drown the seeds, but give too little water and the seeds won’t germinate.
Moisten the soil with water before planting your seeds instead of watering after planting.
Using a set up like this where you can bottom water to keep the soil from drying out or getting too waterlogged is recommended.
Tip: Bottom watering will also help prevent annoying and persistent fungus gnats from making a home in the soil.
5. Too Hot/Too Cold
If a seed is too hot or too cold, it will go dormant and won’t germinate.
Each seed has its own requirements, and the seed packet will state what the ideal temperature is for germination.
You can consider using heat mats to start your seeds if needed, but it is not completely necessary as long as the environment they are growing in is warm enough.
6. Not Thinning the Seedlings
Planting more than one seed per seed cell is great for germination rates but be sure to thin them out once they start growing.
Too many seedlings in one cell will have plants fighting for water and nutrients leaving you with some not so healthy or even dead plants.
7. Not potting up
Seedlings will only survive for so long in the starter trays. As they grow, so do their needs.
Once the roots start poking through the bottom of the trays, it is time to pot up into larger nursery pots.
Without adequate space the plants health will suffer and will result in stunted plants.
Different seeds have different requirements that are stated on their seed packet.
But all seeds need their optimal amounts of light, oxygen, and water order to germinate.
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Until next time –
